Mr Joseph Nelson, the Western Regional Minister, has expressed satisfaction at the progress of work on the rehabilitation of the Sekondi Sports Stadium.
He called for a sustainable plan to keep the facility active and prevent it from re-deteriorating upon completion.
Mr Nelson who had visited the facility at Essipun, to inspect work done so far, said completing the rehabilitation works would only solve one part of the maintenance problem, and asked the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, to develop a clear utilisation and revenue-generation strategy to help sustain the stadium.
“When we took office, it was clear that the state of the stadium was not what was claimed to be 90 per cent complete, because its condition was far worse than that,” he said.
He said it was refreshing when the Sports Minister took interest and visited the facility and got the contractor back to continue the project, which had resulted in visible progress at the stadium, including work on the seating arrangements.
He, however, urged the NSA and the Sports Ministry to consider putting in place sustainable measures as part of the stadium’s long-term management strategy.
He said: “Once it is done, we should have a good plan in place on how the place will be utilised, so that at least the maintenance of the place can happen. Otherwise, the facility will be left idle to deteriorate again.”
Mr Nelson also expressed concern that the absence of a major professional football club who would regularly use the facility could pose a challenge to its sustainability.
He, therefore, called for alternative sporting and commercial activities that could generate revenue to support regular maintenance of the stadium.
Mr Nelson stated that the decline of traditional Sekondi-based clubs, including Sekondi Hasaacas and Eleven Wise, would reduce the number of competitive matches that could regularly be hosted at the facility, however with the substantial resources invested in the rehabilitation, the facility could not be allowed to remain unused after completion. –GNA
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